A new bookshop dedicated to architecture will open in Sydney’s Surry Hills in November.
The book shop is the brainchild of Adam Haddow, a director of SJB Sydney, who has been mulling over the idea of opening specialist bookshop since the Architext bookshops run by the Australian Institute of Architects at their Sydney and Melbourne headquarters closed in 2015.
The Architect’s Bookshop will be run by Anne Proudfoot, who helmed Architext for decades and has been “coaxed” out of retirement for the new venture. Proudfoot will be joined by Meredith Buhler, who until recently worked at the Museum of Contemporary Art Store.
Haddow said he wanted the shop, on Crown Street, to “become a cultural hub not only for architects but for the interested public. We want the space to have a spirit of openness and generosity, so all types of people will feel welcome.”
Haddow doubles as both the proprietor of the new store and the designer of its interiors. His plan for the shop calls for a simple two-room layout with shelving and integrated seating made from native timber.
He also hopes that the shop will be used to host speakers and other architecture-related events. Two architecture students have also been engaged to program a digital calendar of architecture events in Sydney.
“The back room can be used for reading, for meetings or casual catch-ups. I am keen that it is a place where ideas can be exchanged, where we can launch books, have guest speakers and bring architecture closer to the community.”
The Architect’s Bookshop will open on 8 November. For more information, go here.
